Pact between Tulsa and BA may lower insurance costs

Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced today that the City of Tulsa and City of Broken Arrow fire departments have entered into a mutual aid agreement that would give both fire departments the authority to respond to fires and medical emergencies across jurisdictional areas that border Tulsa/Broken Arrow city limits. For example, there can be a long distance for a firefighter from Tulsa Fire Department Station No. 27 at 31st and Garnett to travel to a home in Tulsa that is near the Broken Arrow City limits. Similarly, there are areas the Tulsa Fire Department may be able to reach faster than the Broken Arrow fire department. Without the mutual aid agreement, the Tulsa and Broken Arrow fire departments had to seek permission to respond into one another’s jurisdiction to help with fire assistance or medical emergencies. The mutual aid agreement provides standing orders and procedures to 911 dispatchers to automatically send the closest agency regardless of whose jurisdiction it is. “When a citizen’s home is on fire, they don’t care if the fire truck says Tulsa or Broken Arrow. They want to receive the best and fastest response time during that emergency,” Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett said. “This mutual agreement is truly a win-win for the citizens of Tulsa and we are glad to have this great partnership with the City of Broken Arrow.” The mutual agreement will not only reduce response time in some outlying areas, but provide both increased service levels and reduce home insurance rates to east Tulsa citizens. Local insurance companies have estimated an approximate $1,200 in annual cost savings for east Tulsa citizens and in some cases cut annual insurance premiums in half. “We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with the City of Tulsa,” said Broken Arrow Mayor Mike Lester. “This partnership makes sense. It gives residents of Tulsa and Broken Arrow additional peace of mind to know there will always be someone there to help protect their investments.” The agreement went into effect on February 21, 2012 and both cities are working closely with their communications centers and fire departments to have all procedures in place.